Mobilising Indigenous agency through cultural sustainability in architecture: are we there yet?

This chapter proposes that architectural projects, for, with and by Indigenous people, could have more leverage if the goals of cultural sustainability were adopted, thereby mobilising greater participation and agency more effectively. The sustainability agenda advances resource accountability to moderate economic growth providing socio-economic benefits for future generations. This concern was first raised about the overdeveloped Western world; however, drawing on the writings of Indigenous and other scholars, we found that socio-economic sustainability concepts derived from Western paradigms are not easily adapted to all circumstances and development practices, because Indigenous Australians have not benefited to anything like the same degree as their non-Indigenous counterparts, somewhat undermining cultural sustainability